Is the Subaru BRZ a Future Classic?
December 9, 2023
Looking to tuck away something sporty that you can enjoy today – and possibly reap the benefit of tomorrow? Try Subaru and Toyota’s epic RWD, sideways, normally aspirated lovechild. If you ask most people, one of the main reasons that they choose to drive a classic sportscar is in its simplicity and driver involvement. Pick any of those early icons, whether it’s a Lotus Elan, MGB or even an early MX5, they all offer low weight, just enough power, the perfect amount of grip and agility, and the ability for the driver to make all the key decisions. Sadly, little Mazda aside, it’s not something you see very often in this age of lardy, over-assisted, over-powered machines, that is until the Subaru BRZ and Totota GT86 came screeching onto the scene at full opposite lock.
You see, back in 2012 Subaru and Toyota shocked the world by announcing that they were rewinding the clock with their latest offering, instantly dubbed by hacks as the ‘Toyobaru’ at the time. This simple and pretty little car really was a very counterculture move for the marketplace it was being put into. As manufacturers like VW Group were adding turbos and driven wheels for their ‘R’ and ‘RS’ ranges, something Subaru itself had considerable form for, the little Japanese coupe was tipping its hat to much simpler forebears. A mere 200PS, rear wheel drive, and just enough mass and weight to make things interesting, but with the requisite safety gear that made you feel warm and fuzzy at speed. Try and achieve that in an early Elan…
It was an instant critical hit. Contemporary road tests praised its perfect chassis balance, Clarkson famously drifted one whilst reading a book on Top Gear, and even the likes of Chris Harris espoused its entertainment value. In every respect, it was effectively an MX5 coupe, with a little more legroom and a little more boot space. And what’s not to love about that?
Despite Toyota arguably able to lay claim to owning the small, sideways, NA coupe space with its iconic AE86, the engineering and motive parts were all Subaru. So a flat-four motor and a mix of Legacy and Impreza parts made up the oily bits, whilst the clever fuel injection and body optimisation came from Toyota. This meant, bizarrely, and despite the Subaru BRZ selling just 1 car to every 10 Toyotas, every single one, regardless of badge, was made in Subaru’s Gunma plant.
Although it ended up being a relatively low selling car for both brands, it’s not too hard to find one for sale today. Naturally, there are more Toyotas for sale at any one time, but both the GT86 and Subaru BRZ are so very close in their spec, I’d offer my usual caveat of buying on mileage, condition and price. There are a few minor things to watch out for, which the plethora of buyer’s guides will merrily steer you through, but whichever one you prefer, being Japanese and relatively un-stressed, any well-maintained and historied example will almost doubtless be fine.
Out on the road or track, nothing much can touch them. You’ll find plenty of cars to outdrag them, of course, but between points A to B on the map, assuming that you’re wanting to travel, at speed, via points C and D, they’re a dynamic delight. The electric power steering offers surprising levels of feedback and feel, and the 5-stage traction control means you can have as much – or little – assistance as your talent can handle. And as for ‘fitness for purpose’, any car that has the written design brief to ensure that the folded boot can precisely hold four track wheels and tyres is one that you want to own!
You can expect to hold your example for a few years to come before they start making big bank, but you won’t care as you’ll simply be having so much fun in a car you can genuinely use every single day. One might argue that the rarer – and purer – Subaru might be the one to tuck away as there are already less than a THOUSAND on UK roads, but if you look at the prices of tidy, RWD sports Toyota coupes, you’ll see that they always find their market niche – and value – eventually.
And why do I think this? Well, I bought in at the VERY beginning and I’m lucky enough to own the very first BRZ that came to the UK as Subaru’s development car. It’s probably one that I’ll never sell – and we recently took it out for a spin to make a deep-dive video for your viewing pleasure. So watch that, and whether you’re buying or selling one, try our Modern Classics section for an easy, sideways life.
